Touched down nearly halfway down runway before crashing, authorities say

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KINGSTON, Jamaica — An American Airlines jet that overshot the runway and split apart last month first touched down nearly halfway down the runway — well past its target, Jamaican officials said Wednesday.

But authorities said they don't yet know if that was a factor in an accident that injured dozens of passengers.

Director-General Oscar Derby of Jamaica's Civil Aviation Authority said the plane landed at around the 4,000-foot mark of the rain-slicked runway in Kingston. He said the target for the Boeing 737-800 was within the first 1,500 feet of the 8,910-foot-long runway

The plane, arriving from Miami, stopped in a crumpled mess just short of the Caribbean Sea on Dec. 22.

Investigators said Wednesday they are considering potential factors including pilot error or mechanical failure.

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